Child killer Jon Venables has lost a Parole Board bid to be freed from jail, with the panel ruling that it was “not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public”.
Venables, who was just 10 when he brutally tortured and killed two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, will now spend at least another two years in prison.
The 41-year-old was previously released on licence in July 2001 and recalled to prison in February 2010 after indecent images of children were found on his computer.
He was again released in August 2013 and then called back in November 2017 for the same offence, with parole judges last considering his case in September 2020.
The decision against releasing him comes after a series of delays and a hearing that was held behind closed doors in mid-November.
In a three-page summary, the Parole Board said on Wednesday: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.
“It noted the risks as set out above, doubted Mr Venables’ ability to be open and honest with professionals, and concluded that there remained a need for him to address outstanding levels of risk, and to develop his relationship with his probation officer.”
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